Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys – And, 5 Toy Fails

The toys that actually get played with all the time in our home. And a few fails that never do.

We’ve all bought those gifts that we thought our kids would love, but they never ended up touching. So today, I’ve got my big list of the toys that my kids actually play with, all the time. And have been favorites for years. These are the Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys in our home. Plus, 5 toy gift fails that never get touched. And, a handful of DIY Gift Ideas for your kids.

Most of these gifts are geared towards little boys, ages 3 to 8. A few will work for younger kids. Some work for older kids. And, most are fun for girls too. Every kid has different favorites, so go with your gut on what toys your kids will actually like. 🙂

And, I wasn’t trying to list STEM related gifts, but a lot of these gifts would be considered STEM gifts. The rest of the items on my Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys list stimulate creativity and imaginative play OR lead to exercise. YASSS!!

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Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys on Amazon – Small Creative Play Gifts

Costumes!

Play Costumes are used daily around here. Little kids love imaginary play and experimenting with mixing and matching the costumes. I can say the Construction Worker Pirate with a Superhero Cape is my favorite! Here are some of the most used costumes in our home: this Fireman costume, a Construction Worker, these Santa Clause pajamas, this set of 5 Superhero Capes and Masks, any of the Paw Patrol Costumes, Ninjago costumes, and Darth Vadar.

Blocks and Kits!

Snap Circuits!

My 5-year old loves this Snap Circuits Jr. It’s for kids ages 8+, but he’s always been great with puzzles, so we gave it a try. My husband worked with him a few times on some of the projects. He completely gets it now and builds them from memory. I’m not ashamed to admit, he understands how these circuits work better than me. We’ll probably get the bigger Snap Circuit kits soon.

Puzzles!

Puzzles are great. Your kid feels like a rockstar when they complete one. They’re learning problem-solving, pattern recognition, hand-eye coordination, and more. Plus, they’re fun for the whole family. These Melissa & Doug Puzzles are popular in our house. The younger kids also love floor puzzles, like these. And my oldest is mainly doing 100 and 200 piece puzzles.

Trains!

VTech Train Station Kits are cool. They love constructing new track designs then setting the train loose to see it run through the track. They’ll spend a good hour changing the tracks around and trying new ways to build it.

RC Cars!

Remote Control Cars and Trucks are pretty cool. They always want more. Pick age appropriate and durable ones. And make sure they know they aren’t made to fall off high places. We lost the first one to stunt driving. 😉

Balls and Balloons!

Balls, Balls, and more Balls. Seriously, you probably know this, but kids love balls and balloons. So, if you need really small gifts or stocking stuffers, here they are. I like light-weight (less damaging 😉 ) balls for indoor play or just big punching balloons. I bring out a new balloon, or two, when they’re acting bored and need to burn some energy.

Workbench!

The same goes for the Little Tikes Construction Workbench. My boys love hammering (everything 😉 ) and using the drill. And it comes with 3 cars to actually build with the drill. You can even download an interactive app to help the kids build the cars.

Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys on Amazon – Outdoor Play Gifts

Bikes!

Bikes, of course. Kids love their bikes. At this age it’s probably all about Tricycles, Balance Bikes, and Bikes with training wheels.

Plasma Cars!

Powerwheels!

My Oldest has this Black Chevrolet Powerwheel. Shop around for the best price. We Got ours for about $250. He rides his brother around in it everywhere. And it has a working tailgate, so he even helps daddy collect wood in the yard.

Trampolines!

I know, I know. Trampolines can be dangerous. But we have the net ring around ours and have strict safety rules about how they play on it. After 2 years, still not one injury and they get so much exercise on it!

Chalk!

5 Toy Fails that didn’t make my Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys List

This Train Table – The trains and tracks are cool. But the table takes up a lot of space and my boys prefer the floor.

Magic Tracks – The tracks are fine, but the color flashing, light up trains require new batteries after about 1.5 hours of play. No exaggeration.

Giant Ant Farm – Really cool to watch them build for a few days. Then they just keep going building and changing tunnels endlessly. All 30ish ants died within 3 weeks. I kinda wonder if it was from going crazy. K, NK.

Kids Record Player – Nostalgic for me, but not as fun for my kids. It’s hard to crank and a bit boring for modern kids.

This Radio Flyer Little Tricycle – I thought flip down pedals would be great. They could scoot with their feet, then pedal. But the pedals are so hard to turn that little kids can’t do it. And, by the time they’re strong enough, their legs are far too long.

This Easy Kids Bookshelf sits on top of counters, dressers, tables, etc. It’s a clever use of space.

So glad you stopped by to see my Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys. I’d love for you to sign up for my email newsletter to get my latest DIY’s, Decorating, and Remodeling posts in your inbox. And feel free to ask questions, anytime. 🙂

Feeling inspired? Now you know my picks for Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys this year.. Let me know if you have questions. Don’t forget to sign up for the Abbotts At Home email newsletter to get DIY, Remodeling, and Crafty ideas in your inbox.

2 thoughts on “Best Toy Gifts for Little Boys – And, 5 Toy Fails”

Hello friends!

Stephanie shares DIY Projects, woodworking plans, room makeovers, remodeling, and craft projects. Her posts focus on remodeling, decorating, or furnishing a home in a stylish and affordable way. Learn more about her here.
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